RACHAEL GIBBON &
IAN MARTIN
English Learning
The Evolving World of English Learning
RACHAEL GIBBON &
OVERVIEW
Today’s multilingual learners are beginning their English language learning education younger, with an expectation they will need to do more in English, in the academic classroom, in the workplace, and in their personal lives.
In this session, we’re going to examine trends shaping the changing profile of teachers and learners of English, and the implications they have for English teaching and learning. We will draw on findings from research carried out in 2021 which focused on the K12 market for English language and literacy. This is a growing audience that includes international schools, bilingual schools, and other types of institutions teaching an international or national curriculum – and sometimes both.
In support of their findings, the presenters will highlight the characteristics of each type of school; and look at challenges schools encounter when preparing learners with the English needed to access their curriculum before exploring how they might be overcome.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Rachael Gibbon is Global Publisher for ELT at National Geographic Learning. She holds an MA in Educational Research with a focus on Education and Social Justice from Lancaster University. Following several years teaching teenagers and adults in Italy, she’s worked in educational publishing for 15 years in the UK and Turkey, overseeing the publication of a number of flagship titles. Her favourite part of every project is still getting back into the classroom with teachers and learners to understand their challenges and aspirations so she can better support their achievements with learning materials that motivate and inspire.
Ian Martin is the Director of Global Marketing for National Geographic Learning based in Boston. For seventeen years he has lived and worked extensively throughout Asia and Latin America. He has been a teacher, teacher trainer, syllabus designer, and director of a language school. His special interests include the teaching of reading and vocabulary. He is the holder of an RSA TEFL Diploma.